The Reno Coach

We have carried out an extensive update and renovation of our full home. Our home was originally built in 1920 and we wanted if fully updated structurally and functionally as well as making it as energy efficient and green as possible. This extensive renovation involved many different technologies, materials, timetables, priorities and personalities.

We contracted with Reiner to advise us on every stage of this process. Reiner helped us to plan the project, choose the contractors, negotiate with the contractors and establish the timelines. Reiner attended all of the site meetings and was very helpful in keeping the project on schedule. We particularly appreciated that Reiner carried out his regular inspections of many facets of the work and was diligent in double checking that the work was carried out to a very high standard. He followed up to the contractors and tradesmen directly to ensure each aspect was of the renovation was performed correctly.

We wanted our home to be fully updated and energy efficient. Reiner was helpful in the choice of various technologies such as in floor heating, energy recovery ventilators, full home insulation, types of roofing, basement lowering etc. Reiner was able to give us good advice and help us to coordinate these technologies into our project.

Inevitably some difficulties occurred during the renovation. Reiner was always responsive and generally was very quick to asses the situation, recommend a solution and monitor the correction. We appreciate Reiner's quick and thorough responses.

We have been in our renovated house for nearly a year and are very happy with the results. A major renovation is a stressful difficult endeavour but Reiner's advice has helped to make the process less difficult and more successful.

Reiner helped coach us through our basement underpinning and finishing project.

As this was our first home renovation project he was incredibly helpful navigating us through City of Toronto permits, design suggestions and most importantly helping us source the best service providers.

We highly recommend Reiner for future projects.

I first saw the Reno Coach signs in our neighbourhood and I was intrigued. We knew we had to do our kitchen but we had not idea where to start; we had never done any renovations before.

After having the free consultation with Reiner, it was clear that he knew what he was doing. He got things started with some quotes from contractors who he thought would be good for the job. Reiner does all the things you don’t want to do - he drafts the contracts, ensures work is done on time and makes sure things are done to your specifications.

Reiner helped us find the right contractor (they were amazing!), the right cabinet makers (they were also fantastic) and a great place to get our counter tops. We figure the amount of money we spent on Reiner was pretty much made back with the costs we saved on the counter tops alone! We would have never known about this place unless Reiner told us.

In the end, the cost of using the Reno Coach was exactly what he said it would be at the initial free consultation. If you are fearful of starting a big renovation project and don’t know where to start, call the Reno Coach. We had such a great experience that we are ready to do the next project!

We hired Reiner to consult us with our renovations of a house we just purchased. We had a very tight timeline of only 4 weeks until we wanted to move in. This was our first renovation project and Reiner did an excellent job in coaching us. We decided to renovate the first and second floor including an open concept kitchen. We received high quality construction work and are very happy with the end product. Best of all, we were able to move in just after 4 weeks of renovation. Reiner directed us to the right people for our renovation needs and made sure that everything was done correctly and on time. I can highly recommend his service!

Reiner is an indispensible resource *well* worth his fee! He is a wealth of knowledge who advised on any situation we ran into while underpinning and renovating our basement. Knowing he'd previously worked with the contractors who were quoting on our job and has vetted their work, timeliness, and professionalism gave us piece of mind.

We contacted the Reno Coach on the recommendation of friends who'd had a good experience. After months of trying to do our own sourcing and research, he was able to help us decide the best course of action and led the process to gather quotes. Every single professional/tradesperson that he connected us to was fantastic and the contractor that we eventually went with was terrific. The Reno Coach helped us to filter out the "noise" and move ahead with confidence.

Having heard quite a bit of reno-related horror stories, we had a lot of concerns as well as questions at the beginning of our below grade insulation, waterproofing and full basement reno project. We wanted to avoid costly mistakes and minimize reno-related stresses if we could. Luckily, we chanced upon The Reno Coach through online research and after our first meeting, we knew Reiner will bring in the necessary know-how and due diligence services we were looking for to approach our project with more confidence and peace of mind.

Initial consultations with him defined the possibilities for us both in financial and construction terms. His knowledge helped in setting realistic budget and expectations early on. We went ahead and engaged The Reno Coach from the get go and got him involved every step of the way - from discussing our renovation goals and requirements, estimating project cost, identifying potential areas of savings and trade-offs, selectively hiring a designer and contractors well suited and qualified for our project, getting multiple bids, reviewing contract agreement, permitting, to doing inspection, spot checks and quality controls during the renovation process.

We couldn’t be happier with our decision. Reiner was able to ensure that our reno work commenced and progressed to completion successfully. His overall expertise and work ethic made what was initially a daunting task and challenging proposition into a satisfying endeavour - with time, money and resources justified and well spent. We look forward to working with Reiner again on the second phase of our home renovation this Spring!

We hired Reiner (The Reno Coach) in early 2015 after our initial contractor went bankrupt and left us with an empty shell of a house. Reiner was able to get the project back on track very quickly by bringing in multiple contractors to quote on finishing the job. Ultimately we selected a contractor that he found for us, and the job was finished on time and on budget. In fact, it was well UNDER budget since the new contractor that Reiner found gave us a better price than the original guy who went bankrupt. He was also a strong advocate for us with respect to some insurance-related aspects of the project.

For anyone who is undertaking a major, lengthy/complicated renovation I would highly recommend hiring the Reno Coach . Not only will he be able to help you select the right contractor for the job but he's "in your corner" all the way along, making sure the job gets done right, on time, and on budget. You definitely want someone with his experience when you're dealing with contractors, insurance adjusters, etc.

This is the third time I've had the pleasure of working with Reiner. Again, his work was truly excellent. My entire front porch needed to be replaced (brick pillars, joists, flooring, skirting, steps, posts, cement footings, rails, and custom balusters). Reiner coordinated the project expertly. He helped me find an experienced and affordable carpenter and brick mason, both of whom completed the job to a high standard, on time, and on budget because of Reiner's terrific supervision. Reiner also gave me valuable advice about materials and construction needs, ensuring that I had high quality products but did not unnecessarily overbuild. I was thrilled with the final product. I thoroughly recommend Reiner, and look forward to working with him again!

I used Reiner's service for a major renovation of the entire basement and mainfloor bathrooms as well. Reiner was an invaluable resource when it came to recommending and selecting the architectural and construction people to work with. He has extensive knowledge and experience and provided invaluable advice. Reiner is always punctual for appointments, responds to email and returns phone calls promptly and is a pleasure to work with.